Wire-stretcher.



No. 830,854. PATENTED SEPT. 11`, 1905.

- Y s. -H. THOMPSON.

WIRE STRETCHER. APPLIGATIN FILED JUNBzo. 190s.

T'ffl-f A TTOHNE YS SAMUEL HENDRY THOMPSON, OF FORT MYERS, FLORIDA.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 11, 1906.

Application filed 3.11110 20,1906. Serial N0. 322,558.

.To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL HENDRY THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Fort iNIyers, in the county of Lee and State of Florida, have invented a new and Improved I/Vire-Stretcher, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates particularly to improvements in reels and stretching mechanism for wire-fence construction in unwinding the wire in the building of a fence or reeling up the wire in taking down an old fence, the object being to provide a fence-machine of this character that will be simple in construction, inexpensive, and so arranged that it may be quickly mounted on a wagon and as readily detached therefrom when not required for use.

I will describe a wire-stretcher embodying my invention and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the iigures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wirestretching device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail showing a means for holding the shaft in position, and Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, 5 indicatesthe body portion of a wagon to the side-boards of which, near the rear end, are attached upwardly-extended metal plates 6, the said plates being provided with outwardly o ening and curved slots 7, the lower wal s of which form bearings for a shaft 8. Vhen in its bearings, the shaft is held from outward movement by means of hook members 9, which are pivoted to the plates 6 and engage over the shaft at the outer sides of the plates, as clearly indicated in the drawings. The shaft S is made angular at both ends, so as to receive at either end a crank-handle 10.

Rigidly secured to the shaft 8 is a wirestretching member, consisting of a collar 11, having an opening 12, through which the end of a wire may be passed. The shaft may be held from backward movement when stretching a wire'by means of a ratchet-wheel 13, mounted rigidly on the shaft and engaged by a pawl 14.

Mounted loosely on the shaft, as here shown, are two reels 15 and 16, the said reels being of different diameters, as the larger reel is designed for large wire and the smaller reel for small wire. These reels of course are independent one of the other, so that the wire may be unwound from one reel while the other reel remains stationary. To prevent the reel from moving too quickly, and thus causing slack in the wire, I employ brake devices, consisting of levers 17 1S, designed to engage spring yieldingly with the wire. These brake-levers 17 and 1S are extended rearwardly from a bar 19, securedvto the sideboards of the body 5, and the levers are connected by a cross-bar 20.

In the operation a wire is to be fastened to a post at one end of the fence, and'then as the wagon is drawn along the wire will be unwound from its reel, as the reel moves freely in the frame. Upon reaching a terminal point the wire is to be cut and the end passed through the opening 12, after which the shaft is to be rotated to stretch the wire,

and of course when the wire is stretched it is' to be secured to the several posts of a fence in the usual manner-that is, by staples. IVhile` stretching a wire the wagon must be anchored by any suitable means. I/Vhen the device is not required for use, the shaft may be lifted from its bearings, as before mentioned, and the levers 17 and 1S removed, thus leaving the wagon in condition for its usual purposes.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a device for the purpose specified, a shaft, a reel loosely mounted on the shaft, and a collar on said shaft, the said collar having an opening to receive the end of the wire.

2. In a device for the purpose specified, the combination with a wagon-body, of shaftbearings on the body, a shaft mounted in said bearings and removable therefrom, a plurality of reels adapted to be loosely mounted on the shaft, the said reels being of different diameters, swinging brake-levers adapted to be held in engagement `with the wire on the reels, and a collar rigidly secured to the shaft and having an opening to receive the end of a wire.

3. In a device for the ur ose specified, the combination with a ve ic e-body, of shaftbearings carried by the said body, a shaft for roo IIC

engaging in said bearings, reels adapted to be F naine to this specification in the presence of loosely mounted on the shaft, a Collar secured tWo subscribing Witnesses. to the shaft and having an openinf1r to receive the end of a Wire, abratChet-Whoeel on the SAML' HENDRY THOMPSON' 5 shaft, and a paWl for engaging With said Witnesses:

ratchet-Wheel. LoUIs A. HENDRY,

In testimony whereof I have signed Vmy R. TRYANIO FRAoUs. 

